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(No Model F. R. JONES. COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC WIRBS. No. 486,857.Patented Sept. 23 1890.

Q J, B B A l n (1 J? E K Q C DE Witnesses: W R Inventor O amwijiAttorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FORREST R. JONES, OF KEARNEY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES G.WVHITE, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

SPECIFIGAIIQlEforming part of Letters Patent No. 436,857, datedSeptember 23, 1890. Application filed May 22, 1890. Serial No. 352,798.No model.)

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, FORREST R. JONES, of

Kearney, Buffalo county, Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Couplings for Electrical Conductors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention pertains to couplings for electrical conductors, and hasbeen designed with special reference to electrical conductors employedin connection with railwaycars, though the invention is of courseapplicable to other situations.

As an exemplification of the use of my invention, I will make itsdescription with special reference to street-cars provided with electriclights, my system of coupling being employed to connect the conductorsof the several cars.

My improvements will be readily understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the direct coupling parts of myimproved coupling shown as connected together-that is, coupled; Fig. 2,a similar view showing the same parts separated; Fig. 3, a plan of oneof the coupling parts; Fig. i, an end view of one of the coupling parts;Fig. 5, alongitudinal diametrical section of one of the coupling parts;Fig.7 6, a side elevation of the end portions of two cars provided withmy improved coupling arranged in connection with an electrical conductorassumed as the conductor for the lighting-current, special provisionbeing made to prevent accident to the coupling by the movement of thecars; and Fig. 7, a detached View of the coupling devices illustrated inFig. 6, the devices being shown upon a somewhat enlarged scale.

In the drawings, (omitting forthe present any reference to Figs. 6 and7,) A indicates the electrical conductors which are to be detachablycoupled, these conductors being as sumed as flexible, such being theusual construction in connection with car-service, the flexibility beingattained generally by forming the conductor of strands; B, the usualinsulating-jacket on the conductors; C, the two coupling parts, onesecured to the end of each of the conductors, these two coupling partsbeing of identical form so as to intermember indiscriminately thegeneral form of the coupling parts, being-that of simple cylindersformed of non-conducting material, as hard rubber; D, semi-cylindricalprojections extending one from the outer end of each coupling part; E, asemi-cylindrical recess in the outer end of each coupling part, thisrecess having a form corresponding with that of the projection D, asclearly illustrated, the form being such that when two coupling partsare pushed together endwise the projection will enter and fill therecesses and the entire coup ling, thereby presenting a smoothcylindrical surface; F, a longitudinal groove in the flat face of eachprojection D, this groove extending from the outer end of the projectioninwardly the full depth of the recess E and continuing onwardly as acylindrical hole extending entirely through the coupling part; G, ametallic contactpiece permanently secured to the end of the conductor Aand firmly secured within the cylindrical hole in the coupling part,this contact-piece thus presenting within the non-conducting couplingpart the terminal of the conductor A; H, a spring secured in the grooveF and free for flexation throughout the general inner portion of itslength; J, the inner free end of the spring disposed over thecontact-piece G and adapted to make contact therewith when the spring isdepressed; K, the extreme outer end of the spring H, being disposed atthe end of the projection D and presenting an inner declivity orincline, and L a hip or incline formed upon the spring II at thatportion of its length which would be engaged by the declivity K of thefellow spring when the two coupling parts are united, the forms of thedeclivity K and hip L being such that when the two coupling parts areunited-the springs will be depressed into contact with thecontact-pieces G and the declivity K of one spring will engage in behindthe hip L of the other spring, so as to offer a certain amount ofresistance to their tractive separation.

\Vhen the two coupling parts are separated, then each conductor may besaid to have a blind end-that is to say, neither coupling part presentsany exposed metal terminals which are connected with the conductor.While the coupling is uncoupled the spring H is not in connection withthe conductor. The uncoupled parts thus present no elements of danger bybeing handled, as the real terminal of the conductor is protected farwithin the body of the non conducting couplingpiece. When the couplingparts are united, then the springs become depressed and connected withthe conductors. The coupling parts are united by simple endwisepresentation and the exercise of sufficient pushing force to cause thedeclivities K to depress the springs and engage behind the hips L. Thisengagement furnishes sufficient lock to hold the coupling parts properlytogether under all ordinary practical circumstances.

I have referred to the projections D and the recesses E as beingsemi-cylindrical; but I prefer that the fiat boundary of the recess andprojection should be arranged on a taper, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.This gives the couplings a sort of a wedging union and permits the twoparts to be united very firmly and with little force, thus lessening therequirements of the springs to serve as a lock. The two coupling parts,when united, form practically water-tight joints.

. In making the coupling the preferred construction is to form thegeneral interior piece from a cylinder of hard rubber properly bored andgrooved and rabbeted to form the projection and recess. A hard-rubbersleeve is then forced over the inner piece, thus completing the recess.This contact-piece G may be a rabbeted cylindrical plug of metalsoldered or otherwise secured to the end of the conductor and forcedinto or otherwise secured in the central bore of the coupling part. Theinsulating-jacket of the conductor is best allowed to project well intothe central bore of the coupling part, so as to make a neat andwell-protected union between the jacket and the coupling part.

My couplings are of special usefulness in connection with the conductorsemployed in lighting street-cars or other cars by electric ity. In suchuse of conductors and couplings it is desirable that provision be madefor the ordinary approach and separation of the cars as the cars yieldat their main couplings and as they swing around curves, &c. It isdesirable that the length of the conductor accommodate itself to theconditions without imposing bending strains on the flexible conductor,which strains would tend in time to break the conductor. It is alsohighly desirable that provision should be made for an automaticdisengagement of the couplings when the cars separate without imposingdamaging tractive strains on the main conductors.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I illustrate my coupling system as I generally apply itto the roofs of electrically-lighted streetcars. The direct couplingparts are as I have previously described. Referring now moreparticularly to these two figures of the drawings, M indicates the endportion of one car; N, anothercar assumed as coupled thereto by theusual car-coupling devices; 0, the car-wire of one of the cars, the samebeing arranged in its roof structure and extending from end to end ofthe car and terminating eventually at each end in such a coupling partas has been before described; P, a similar car-wire of the other car,these car-wires being arranged within the car, as to lighting, &c., astherdesign may require; Q, an eye at the extreme of one car-roof, thiseye supporting fixedly the conductor of that car within a short distanceof the coupling partthat is to say, the conductor is fastened in thiseye and then projects flexibly a short distance beyond to the couplingpart; R, a similar eye on the other car, in this case, however, the

conductor being loose in the eye, so as to be capable of free endwisemotion therein; S, an enlargement or stop formed upon or secured to theconductor inwardly beyond the eye R to serve in limiting the outwardmovement of the conductor through that eye, and T a spiral springforming part of the car-wire of car N, this spring being disposedinwardly just beyond the stop S.

I have illustrated the loose eye R and the stop S and the spring T as aprovision upon one car only, but the arrangement may be identical uponboth cars-that is to say, upon both ends of both cars.

By inspecting Fig. 6 it will be readily understood that the ordinaryapproach and separation of the two cars will cause the conductor of theright-hand car to move to and fro through the loose eye R, the spring Tyielding to permit this movement'and contracting again to take upsurplus length, so that the conductor is not subjected to bends orkinking. When the cars are separated, then the coupling 0 will be pulledapart, and the stop S, coming in contact with the eye R, will preventundue extension of the spring T.

I claim as my invention-- l. In an electrical coupling, the combination,substantially as set forth, of two intermembering coupling parts formedof nonconducting material, a metallic contact-piece disposed within eachof said coupling parts, an electrical conductor united to each of saidcontact-pieces, and a metallic spring secured to each of said couplingparts and adapted, when the two coupling parts are separated, to be outof contact with said contact-pieces and when the coupling parts areunited to form contact with each other and each with its appropriate oneof said contact-pieces.

2. In an electrical coupling, the combina tion, substantially as setforth, of coupling part 0, having projection D and recess E,contact-piece G, disposed within the couplingpiece, conductor A, unitedto said contactpieci, and spring I-I, having declivity K and 3. Thecombination, substantially asset IIO forth, of an electrical condue torterminating ing part of said conductor and disposed at in a couplingpart adapted for union and the side of said enlargement or stop farthestseparation with and from a fellow coupling from said loosely-engagingeye.

part by endwise motion, an enlargement or FORREST R. JONES. 5 stop uponsaid conductor, an eye loosely en- Witnesses:

gaging the said conductor between its conp- O. O. CRANDALL,

ling and said enlargement, and a spring form- W. S. WELLIVER.

